Scientists believe this decreased absorption may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.4

What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this ingredient could come from almost anywhere: spoiled supermarket meat, roadkill, dead, diseased or dying livestock — even euthanized farm animals.

Even though meat and bone meals are still considered protein-rich meat concentrates, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.

The fifth ingredient is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.

Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, dead, diseased or dying cattle — even euthanized livestock.

For this reason, we do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.

In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soybean meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a limited amount of meat.

Yet it’s difficult to ignore the presence of so many Red Flag items… especially the two controversial additives… menadione and BHA.

Bottom line?

Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food is a grain-based dry kibble using a limited amount of meat and bone meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand one star.

Not recommended.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

The Dog Food Advisor does not test dog food products.

We rely entirely on the integrity of the information provided by each company. As such, the accuracy of every review is directly dependent upon the specific data a company chooses to share.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, due to the biological uniqueness of every animal, none of our ratings are intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific dietary response or health benefit for your pet.

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

However, we do receive a fee from Chewy.com for each purchase made as a direct result of a referral from our website. This fee is a fixed dollar amount and has nothing to do with the size of an order or the brand selected for purchase.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Yeah, this is why I don’t trust vet’s. The majority of them are being taught at schools where funding comes from Purina and the like. Cmon, you think a dog or cat in the wild is eating wheat midlings and corn off the stock??

Crazy4cats

Wow! Glad to hear your dogs are recovering. I had never heard of this food before. I hope they can get it figured out if it was the food. Best of luck to you and your pups. 🙂

Renee Obenchain Robertson

It was abound. Let me make a correction though to my statement. I did get a call from Simmons Pet food co and she said it was made in Kansas. Kroger was wrong. She said they would test the lot and call my vet. This does make me feel better and my dogs are slowly recovering. Not happy about a thousand dollar vet bill though. At least they are doing something though

LabsRawesome

Renee Obenchain Robertson which wet food are you talking about?

Renee Obenchain Robertson

I recently bought my mini-dachshunds 2 bags of wet food – lamb and chicken. They both ended up with bloody vomiting and diarrhea for two days, lethargic, and dehydrated. Took them to vet. Both severely dehydrated, one had to stay for iv fluids and the other got.them im. Both had nausea shot, antibiotics, ID food. Had to take one back the next day for fluids and she had to stay overnight. Called Kroger and got call back stating that food is made in Canada by Simmons and they would have to call. Only says distributed in US on bag but a blogger who was involved in developing food said it was.made in US. I am highly disappointed in everything I am finding out and fee’m like I poisoned my dogs. I will never change food again. Not to even mention the vet bill and my vet does feel in his professional opinion that it was the dog food.

Catherine Juergens

In all honesty I have followed the a set amount of rles when it comes too my dogs food. I prefer too keep them gluten free-corn free-free of byproducts, I also read reviews. Ontop of how long has the brand been out. After all of this I let my dogs be the judge. I pay close enough attention too know what does and doesn’t work for each dog. I think like humans what works for one dog may not for others. My 2 longhaired dachshunds are on two different kibbles which they only get in the morning, then they get fresh green beans, blueberries, non fat low sugar organic yogurt with added probiotics an flax. And they do wonderful. They keep the weight off, clean eyes. And never need there glands done do too the high fiber dinner. And one of my males puts on weight much quicker then the other, so he gets a different kibble. I truly believe i you know you’re dogs you can see what does and doesn’t work.

roie

I was wondering if you’ve had a chance to look into Kroger’s new “premium” dog food, Abound.

EdannatheHusky

Well said! It is indeed everyone’s job to find a good food whether it be for their children or dogs, sure you can get the vets opinion if you really don’t know ( I didn’t up until a year ago )
but most of the time you’ll run into vets who really couldn’t care less about your pet or simply don’t know good nutrition, than they offer you the worst possible crap and you think they really know what their talking about and you give it to your dog and he either dies soon after or you make him sick and I’m getting angry, sorry its just I’ve read so many stupid comments and seen so many horrible things it really does get to you, so for the health of my future dog I am going the distance and learning everything I need to know to give my baby the best life she’ll ever have and hope that in the end its enough to keep her living with me to her max.

Becky

Dum, dum, DUMB!

Sharron DeWeed

i’ll be sure to NOT use your veterinarian skillz…. and go to the next clinic with a holistic DVM who supports whole food for my WHOLE DOG!

JellyCat

Your board certified veterinary clinical nutritionist as well as your school must be sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive or/and Procter&Gamble.
There are some flaws in your scientific knowledge because the source does matter since carbs, fats and proteins can be very different. Although, digestibility of carbs in dog food is irrelevant.
Also, different sources of nutrients may have different nutritional properties, chemical composition and chemical properties. Also, I’m not sure if you noticed, but dog food is not only composed of fat, carbs and proteins, there are also other ingredients added to it.

In your comment here, you claim that the source of pet food ingredients aren’t important. And you also question the right of non-veterinarians to judge the quality of a dog food product.

In addition, you also disrespectfully asked our reader (Lucy), “Which veterinary medical school granted you your license that gives you the education to make that determination?

Dommiel. the rude and mean-spirited manner in which you directed your baseless criticism to “you lay people” — the very folks who will soon become your clients — speaks volumes about the kind of healthcare practitioner you’re likely to become.

Frankly, for someone with just 4 months before you become a licensed “professional”, you certainly have much to learn about the right way to interact with caring others (your prospective clients).

What’s more, I must ask you: Do you actually believe one needs a veterinary degree or special advanced training to be able to read and interpret a pet food label? Are you kidding me?

Like some physicians who routinely receive much of their drug prescribing information from the pharmaceutical industry, many veterinarians get a significant amount of their own pet food education directly from pet food manufacturers themselves. And much of that that information can be notably biased and scientifically flawed.

For proof, I refer you to this recent comment posted on our review of Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Canine formula by a practicing veterinarian…

Hi Mike,

I am a veterinarian. Though I see that you are not, I share your views regarding the low quality ingredients in Hills’ foods. This was not always the case. Once upon a time, they were a great, much smaller company. However, in veterinary school most of our nutrition education comes from these big companies who “brainwash” us and schmooze us by offering free food for reading their “educational material” and taking quizzes. I think what you have done here is a good thing in trying to make people more aware of these ingredients. I personally try not to recommend any food that I would not feed to my own pets and this includes all of Hill’s diets and most of the other highly commercialized brands. Most holistic veterinarians have taken extra time to become more knowledgeably about food since what an animal eats can have a tremendous impact on their health, much the same as humans.

Elisa Katz, DVM

Dommiel742, since it’s obviously that it’s your opinion that only a veterinarian could have the special training needed to judge the contents of a pet food label, don’t forget to check with your family physician before you buy your next box of corn flakes.

After all, he went to school to be able to do that. Right?

Dommiel742

If you get a protein/amino acid from a plant or the exact same protein/amino acid from an animal its still the same protein/amino acid.

Or any other nutrient.

what you clearly fail to understand is petfoods are complete and balanced (or should be). Human foods are not. Pet foods have all the nutrients they need in the quantity they need. A Mcdonalds triple cheese burger with a jumbo fries and a diet coke does not.

Suzyq

Oh my. You certainly have the wool pulled over your eyes. The source of the nutrition is indeed a huge factor — one needs only look at the food consumption of humans and the increase in obesity levels to understand this. A fat is a fat, right? Whether you get it from olive oil or from a pig, right? Wrong!!! There is no way I would ever let you near one of my animals, much less speak to you on any other kind of level. Book knowledge although necessary, does not make one good in their field. And taking the opinion of only one of your professors is quite indolent. Maybe you should take some initiative and research things yourself. Or maybe that would be too much work for you since you have mistakenly come to believe that you already have all the answers?

neezerfan

Yikes! How sad!

Melissaandcrew

Hi Dommiel742-

A few things-Do not assume the educational level of the participants here-there are those with degrees, those without, breeders, rescuers and those that have lost pets and have made it their life’s mission to research dog food/ingredients.Small correction-while you may graduate in 4 mths, you will not be a vet until you pass the boards. And, small reality check-someone has to graduate at the bottom of the class, and will still be a vet…I don’t want that person touching my pets. If you plan on succeeding in the field, I suggest you put your condescending tone in check, or you will be very poor as today’s educated pet owners will not tolerate it.

With that said, of course dogs need nutrients, the same as people. It doesn’t take a degree to know that some individual ingredients are superior to others. I can get my nutrients from fast food, but it does not mean they are a healthy source. I prefer to feed my dogs meat laden foods, and those without chemicals and preservatives to the best of my ability.

Jan_Mom2Cavs

I used to have a vet with similar opinions, but alas, he is no longer my vet. I now go to a wonderful holistic vet who does chiropractic services, accupuncture, carries premade raw food in his clinic and talks to me about good nutrition all the time (his views are def. not yours). And I have to drive 50 mins. to get there, but it’s worth all of it! I’m sorry, but a vet with your values would never have me and my animals as clients.

InkedMarie

Well good for you. I don’t have to be a veterinarian to know that the ingredients in the food I have chosen for my dogs is superior to what my vets recommend. If you want to feed Kroger value chunk food to your dog, you go right ahead. I will feed my choice of foods.

Dommiel742

That is the sad thing about *YOU* lay people. You have some bogus idea

that animals need ingredients and not nutrients. Animals need

nutrients and not ingredients in actuality. If a protein/carb/ect is

highly digestible, then the source is irrelevant.

We actually discuses this in my veterinary clinical nutrition class

with a board certified veterinary clinical nutritionist on hand. I may

not be a veterinarian yet, but in 4 months I will be….not you.

I have the science and knowledge to make these kinds of decisions. You

read something on the internet.

If you get a 10 dollar bill from a bank and a 10 dollar bill from the

gas station, what one is worth less? Neither. Because the source does

not matter, only the nutrient (…and bio availability, but since they

are nearly identical it does not matter).

Besides, most states only have 1 petfood regulator working. This mean

they spend a vast majority of their time monitoring larger companies

for guaranteed analysis, nutrient composition, bio availability, ect.

They just cant waste their time on some no name gimmick food so they

largely go unregulated and can lie their “butts” off on their pseudo

scientific claims. The larger companies have to be spot on or get into

trouble.

TTFN, enjoy.

Pattyvaughn

By your logic you are not qualified to own a pet because you are not a vet and are not qualified to make a determination about your animals care. Oh and since I don’t believe you’re a medical doctor or psychiatrist, don’t have children, you’re not qualified for that either.

InkedMarie

One does not need to be a vet to look at the ingredients and realize it is not a good food by any stretch.

Dommiel74

which veterinary medical school granted you your license that gives you the education to make that determination?

Lucy

Scott-lol!

This food is such garbage! How dare they call it “value”!

scott

Shame on Kroger for putting their name on this toxic waste and putting it on the shelves. I think this garbage needs more carbs………/sadface